1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fuel absorbent devices and more particularly to fuel absorbent devices for vehicles and stationary devices.
2. Background Art
Fueling of vehicles occurs at gasoline and fuel pumps world wide. However, depending upon the speed and care taken by the individual fueling such vehicles, fuel may inadvertently spill onto the vehicle, during the fueling process.
A fuel absorbent device is needed, which maintains fuel spills and prevents overflow, spillage, and splashes of fuel during the fuel filling process from contacting such vehicles adjacent the fuel filler entrance of the vehicles. The fuel absorbent device should be a fuel guard, which prevents fuel from contacting the vehicle adjacent the fuel filler pipe. The fuel absorbent device should be light weight, portable, and disposable in a safe and environmentally sound manner. The fuel absorbent device should also be useable in other fuel filling applications, in addition to vehicle fuel filling, and should also be useable in a variety of stationary applications, as well as vehicle applications.
The fuel absorbent device should shield vehicles from fuel spills, surges, and splashes adjacent the fuel filler pipe of such vehicles, prevents excess fuel from damaging the finish of the vehicles, and absorbs excess fuel. The fuel absorbent should be capable of being quickly, conveniently, and easily removably placed adjacently around the entrance orifice of fuel filler pipes of a variety of vehicles, portable, light weight, stored easily, have a non skid surface for placement against the vehicle and other devices, and be useable in stationary applications. The fuel absorbent device should also be durable, inexpensive, safe to use, attractive, sturdy, and of simple construction.
Different fuel protection devices and the like have been known. However, none of the fuel protection devices adequately satisfies these aforementioned needs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,547 (Lehr) discloses an absorbent device for receiving fuel spills during the filling of a fuel tank, shown for a boat. The absorbent device has a gasket constructed from a matrix of melt down polypropylene fibers, frictionally held upon the fuel nozzle below the handle on the spout, having outer surfaces for engaging an entrance to the fuel tank and a central passageway defined by compliant walls, for preventing fuel surges from backing up out the fuel tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,538,813 (Wagner) discloses a detachably mounted fender protector apron for protecting an automobile""s fender from gasoline spills, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,659,523 (Comber) discloses a combined protective bib and tubular extension for use over the open end of an automobile gasoline filler pipe, which is intended to prevent gasoline from damaging the automobile""s paint finish. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 315,705 (Smith) discloses a gasoline bib for automobiles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,691 (Lau) discloses a protective fuel fill bib intended to protect a large automobile fender area adjacent to the automobile""s fill pipe, when an accidental trickle or massive overflow of fuel occurs from a fuel-hose nozzle during filling. The protective fuel fill bib has a trough shaped gasoline-resistant rubber sheet, which extends out and away from the automobile""s finish when installed, and directs spilled fuel out and away from the automobile. When fuel is spilled from the fuel-hose nozzle, however, the fuel is diverted by the protective fuel fill bib onto the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,099 (Kashani) discloses a fuel guard that protects the fender area of an automobile""s surface from damage caused by gasoline spills during refueling, and marring caused by incidental contact with the fuel pump nozzle. Runoff fuel, however, is diverted to and drips onto the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,067 (Foutch) discloses a splash guard for an automotive fill pipe comprising a flexible plastic baffle positioned over the fill pipe cap and having a central hole sized to sealingly engage a gas pump nozzle. The baffle is hingedly attached to the vehicle adjacent one side of the fill pipe and releasably attached adjacent the other side of the fill pipe. In one embodiment, the baffle hinged attachment is to the inside of the access door to the fill pipe. In another embodiment, the attachment is to a bracket in turn attached to the fill pipe. In either embodiment the baffle is manually movable to permit removal and replacement of the fill pipe cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,555,868 (Bowman) discloses a drip tray for protecting the finish of an automobile fender or adjacent parts from drippings or possible overflow of gasoline, when gasoline is being fed into the fuel tank of the automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,249 (Boylen) discloses a fluid sleeve for channeling fluid spilled during the servicing of a motorized vehicle having a top portion. A body portion defines a first opening operable to engage a fluid inlet of the motorized vehicle and a second opening operable to engage a fluid outlet of a fluid container received therethrough to be disposed in the fluid inlet. In use, when fluid is discharged or otherwise spilled from the fluid inlet or the fluid outlet during servicing, the fluid is retained within the body portion and channeled toward a bottom portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,105 (Uuskallio) discloses a pan-like spilled fuel diverter, which overlies the fuel tank of a small engine and has the filler neck on top of the tank projecting through a hole in the bottom wall of the diverter with a liquid-tight connection therebetween. A portion of the diverter projects laterally beyond a side of the tank remote from the engine cylinder and has a downwardly projecting discharge spout spaced from the tank. A downwardly and outwardly slanting deflector at the bottom end of the spout directs spilled liquid that is caught by the diverter away from the tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,467,001 (Allen) discloses a scuff pad for automobile fenders.
U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 162,115 (Barr) and Des. 163,926 (Allen) disclose automobile gasoline door guards.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a fuel absorbent device, which maintains fuel spills and prevents overflow, spillage, and splashes of fuel during the fuel filling process from contacting vehicles adjacent the fuel filler entrance of such vehicles. The fuel absorbent device should be a fuel guard, which prevents fuel from contacting the vehicle adjacent the fuel filler entrance areas of such vehicles. The fuel absorbent device should be light weight, portable, and disposable in a safe and environmentally sound manner.
The fuel absorbent device should shield vehicles from fuel spills, surges, and splashes adjacent the fuel filler pipe of such vehicles, prevents excess fuel from damaging the finish of the vehicles, and absorbs excess fuel. The fuel absorbent should be capable of being quickly, conveniently, and easily removably placed adjacently around the entrance orifice of fuel filler pipes of a variety of vehicles, portable, light weight, stored easily, have a non skid surface for placement against the vehicle and other devices, and also be useable in stationary applications. The fuel absorbent device should be durable, inexpensive, safe to use, attractive, sturdy, and of simple construction. The fuel absorbent device should also be useable in other fuel filling applications, in addition to vehicle fuel filling, and should also be useable in a variety of stationary applications, as well as vehicle applications.
The present invention is directed to a fuel absorbent device, which maintains fuel spills and prevents overflow, spillage, and splashes of fuel from contacting vehicles and other devices adjacent the fuel filler entrance of the vehicles and the other devices, during the fuel filling process. The fuel absorbent device is light weight, portable, and may be disposed of in a safe and environmentally sound manner.
The fuel absorbent device shields vehicles and other devices from fuel spills, surges, and splashes adjacent the fuel filler pipe of such vehicles and other devices, prevents excess fuel from damaging the finish of the vehicles, and absorbs the excess fuel. The fuel absorbent is capable of being quickly, conveniently, and easily removably placed adjacently around the entrance orifice of fuel filler pipes of a variety of vehicles, portable, light weight, stored easily, has a non skid surface for placement against the vehicle and other devices, and is also be useable in stationary applications. The fuel absorbent device is durable, inexpensive, safe to use, attractive, sturdy, and of simple construction. The fuel absorbent device is useable in other fuel filling applications, in addition to vehicle fuel filling, and is useable in a variety of stationary applications, as well as vehicle applications.
A fuel absorbent device for preventing overflow, spillage, and splashes of liquid, fuel, and/or lubricant during a liquid, fuel, and/or lubricant filling process from contacting surfaces adjacent a liquid, fuel, and/or lubricant filler entrance having features of the present invention comprises: absorbent material; an opposing non skid surface, the non skid surface being substantially impervious to liquid, fuel, and/or lubricant strikethrough; the absorbent device having a hole therethrough.
A process for constructing a fuel absorbent device having features of the present invention comprises at least the following steps: a) extruding fibers of polypropylene and ethyl methacrylate, the extruded fibers optionally of approximately 95 percent polypropylene and optionally less than approximately five percent ethyl methacrylate; b) optionally dyeing and blending the extruded fibers to a selected fluorescent color or other suitable color; c) optionally ultraviolet stabilizing the optionally dyed and blended fibers; d) carding the optionally dyed, blended, and ultraviolet stabilized fibers; e) cross lapping the optionally dyed, blended, and ultraviolet stabilized fibers to build fine web layers to a required density, thickness, and width; f) needle punching the cross lapped fibers to mechanically entangle the cross lapped fibers; g) heat stabilizing the needle punched fibers to fuse the needle punched fibers one with the other; h) chilling the heat stabilized fibers; i) calendering one side of the chilled heat stabilized fibers to produce a smooth finish, which results in a non-skid surface of coextruded non-skid barrier film, the opposing heat fused side being hydrophilic and oleophilic; j) cutting or dye cutting the resulting fibrous nonwoven needlepunched barrier sorbent material, which is chemically resistant to liquid, fuel, and/or lubricant strike-through to shape.